Snakes seized in Melbourne raid

A South American boa constrictor showing signs of disease is seized from a Melbourne house.

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Authorities have seized a death adder, a 3 metre-long python and a boa constrictor from a home in Melbourne's north west.

A 19 year-old woman in Delahey is expected to be charged for keeping the snakes with out a permit, and for illegal possession of a boa constrictor.

The Environment Department says the venomous death adder is considered the 9th deadliest snake in the world.

The Olive python is found in the Australian tropics.

Boa constrictors are native to Central and South America and keeping them in Australia is strictly prohibited.

The Environment Department's Drew Wilson says the snakes will be destroyed, to protect native species.

"One of the snakes is showing clinical symptoms of what is known as Inclusion Body disease and it's rife overseas," he said.

"If it gets into our native python population it could decimate the population quite easily, it's highly contagious and incurable," Mr. Wilson said.

The woman could face a fine of up to $24 thousand for keeping native snakes without a permit and a fine of up to $110 thousand dollars or two years jail for the illiegal possession of a boa constrictor.